The Art of Lavina Marie: painting

Merry Christmas, everyone! :D I hope you and your families are blessed with love and happiness this season. I've been working on a piece and review for some time now, and I can finally share it with you, and in time for Christmas Day too, haha!


Dewfairies at Work Ink and watercolor on illustration board 38.4 x 25.7 cm

I recently acquired a set of twelve Derwent Inktense blocks through the generosity of Times Trading Inc., and I've been enjoying time experimenting with them for a piece inspired by the works of Arthur Rackham (as with Marion's Rest).

Inktense blocks are water-soluble ink blocks that boast incredible versatility; they can be rubbed dry onto paper like pastels, or else washed with water like paint. I use them like blocks of watercolor, but they're much more vibrant, opaque, and permanent (so permanent, in fact, that my paintbrushes are stained *o*).

Unlike with watercolors, dry Inktense washes can be painted over without affecting the layers underneath. For this reason, it's very difficult to cover up mistakes when using Inktense blocks, as once the ink dries on the paper, it can't be lifted or dissolved. It's funny really; I tend to make mistakes a lot, so every time I would lay the paintbrush down on the paper, I'd hold my breath :))

I had a hard time adjusting to the Inktense blocks; for one reason, they weren't blending at all well with my initial choice of paper (Daler-Rowney), and I couldn't gauge the amount of ink to place onto the paper. Finally, though, after managing to find the perfect paper for the blocks (Bainbridge cold press, a US-made illustration board) and spending a considerable while trying out different mixes and paintbrush load amounts, I discovered that Inktense tends to overpower water.

The blocks can be scraped and the shavings mixed with water.

The blocks are highly concentrated; a single amount mixed with water can already produce a dark, vibrant color on the paper, which can't be effectively blended or removed without first having washed the paper with water. It's thus difficult to use the blocks to create soft paintings, if you're not conscious of your mixes.

I love how the colors just pop, though :D

Due to their vibrancy, however, Inktense blocks are wonderful for making details stand out, something I'm very partial to. Watercolor tends to fade into the background if not enough paint is loaded into the paintbrush; with Inktense blocks, however, you need only load a little, and it's enough to draw out a bright, clear line on the paper. Moreover, Inktense colors don't bleed into one another as watercolors love to do, a characteristic that I found most useful in painting the under layers of the grass and flowers.

I did use watercolor for some portions of this piece, though, in laying down washes for the sky, and the fairies' skin and hair. I wasn't sure of the effect diluted Inktense would produce, and I didn't want to risk botching the fairies' appearance - and if there's anything I truly hate in my painting, it's botching the fairies.

I've yet to practice painting skin and hair with the Inktense blocks.

In a nutshell, Derwent Inktense blocks are a highly versatile medium (and can, in fact, be used on silk and other surfaces), permanent and vibrant. If used like watercolors, they do require a considerable amount of patience and practice, more so than the watercolor medium itself, I think. If mastered, though, these blocks can produce a vast range of rich and beautiful works.

On that note, I'd like to wish you all once again a Happy Holidays, and a wonderful year ahead. ♥

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With a few of mine and Valerie Chua's paintings, at ManilART

I can't even begin to describe ManilART. I mentioned in my previous post that I was participating in this prestigious event, and now that the event is over, I still can't believe I was part of it at all.

ManilART is the biggest art event of the year, a chance for leading art galleries in the Philippines to come together and showcase their prized collections, and for budding artists, such as myself, to make their presence in the scene known. This year, the event boasted the participation of 40 major galleries, and over 400 artists - the biggest gathering yet.

I was blessed with the opportunity to be featured as one of the exhibiting artists by Romana Go, ManilART's current art director. She was already an acquaintance of mine; we'd meet time and time again, and I always enjoyed her quirky company. A few months ago, we met again at a party at my boyfriend's house, and during one of the conversations, she suddenly broached the subject about ManilART, how she had been assigned the role of art director. I was thrilled for her, of course, and secretly hoping that I'd be able to visit the exhibit this year. To my absolute horror, she casually mentioned that I be a part of it. Before I could recover, she began talking specifics: what medium I used, how many paintings I had, how many more could I do... by the time the party was over, my mind was abuzz. My participation in the exhibit wasn't set in stone, but I had resolved to produce as many paintings as I could nonetheless.

The wheels were in motion, however; as I strove to make one painting a week, Romana would contact me for updates and news concerning ManilART. My being part of it still wasn't sure - at least to me it wasn't, but I was forced to think otherwise when out of the blue, she asked me to participate in a press interview for the event at SM Megamall. And everything escalated from there: my artwork was splashed on a promotional ManilART tumbler and sold and given away, I was featured on the ManilART Facebook page (you can see the post here), and my paintings were set up on display at the Moon Dragon Art Gallery booth in the SMX Convention Center.

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Marion's Rest
Watercolor and ink on paper
29.7 x 21.0 cm
(Credits for model: Falln-Stock)

This drawing sure took some work, and I'm happy with the result, I feel like I want to write a story to go along with it, haha!

I used Derwent watercolor pencils for color, and a Uni Pin water- and fade-proof pigment ink pen. The pen is absolutely fantastic, and definitely worth the price (P65.50 or $1.6 in National Bookstore). It doesn't bleed at all, and the ink only becomes blacker under water.

It's a challenge doing ink line art; I was afraid for the most part that any single line out of place would effectively ruin the picture, especially when I was drawing the fairy's facial features. At one point, I even used the wrong pen, which was not waterproof, so I sat squealing for a good while as I watched the ink bleed past the point of salvation. Thankfully I was able to switch pens before the entire picture became a disaster.

You can see the ink I murdered in about this entire portion of the picture :))

I wasn't really consistent with my method for the picture; some parts I did the line art first before adding paint washes, others I painted first and then outlined. There were times I mulled over the number of lines a particular segment of the image might need, but I mostly winged (wung?) it. I had the most fun inking the trees in the background, because they turned out much better than I expected.

This is a looong overdue post; I finished this drawing weeks ago. I've been so busy with my new job as a content writer, which takes up most of my time. It's so taxing, but definitely fun; I learn new stuff everyday!

Also, there's been that terrible monsoon hitting the Philippines for the past week. Thankfully, our house is set up on a pretty high plane, but gosh, most of Luzon just disappeared under water. ;_; I kept crying as I watched the news, but thank God the rains stopped for now. On a side note, my alma mater, UA&P, became a trending topic on Twitter, for its galant efforts to provide relief to those affected by the monsoon. I'm so proud of those Dragons. I'm proud of everyone, really, striving to protect the Filipino through literal hell and high water.

I hope to blog again soon, there's something I've been working on for a while now, but I can't show it until it's sure and ready. Until then, take care. ♥

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Pardon the outburst, but I ONLY HAVE THREE WEEKS OF SCHOOL LEFT. :O After that, I can officially call myself a college graduate, ready to dive headfirst into that crazy world they call work. I'm excited and impatient at the same time, especially since we just finished having our graduation and yearbook pictures taken. I thought I'd share my creative shot, which I'm particularly proud of:

I rushed the self-portrait the night before the shoot, so I have my doubts as whether it looks like me or not. Still though, I love that I managed to get it done; I had this idea for my creative shot planned out since my sophomore year. The only thing I don't like about how the pictures turned out is my hair; the way they fixed it, I looked like one of those madames from the sixties with the towering crowns, only more egg-like. I'm just glad my hair wasn't long enough to make an entire skyscraper out of it. In any case, I won't post it here to preserve my dignity.

Anyway, I've been so busy with schoolwork, it's reached a point where I'm literally struggling to stay focused. I've barely any time to do art, although here's one that I managed to squeeze in recently:

This is a new watercolor painting I'm currently working (or trying to work) on; I thought I'd skip the faerie element this time and take a whack at painting something more along the lines of contemporary illustration. Another take on that whole drawing-from-imagination bit I'm trying to practice. I really think I lack that particular lobe in my brain that shoots forth creative juices... or maybe it just preconditioned itself to work only for strictly academic purposes.

It's difficult conceptualizing a work of illustration; I admire those artists who place splotches, streaks and whatnot in strategic locations around a painting and pull it off. But maybe I'm just having difficulty because illustration has never been my forte.

I'll try to update this blog again soon, I've got loads of things I want to share, like new art books, and my first official publication! :) Toodles, take care, reader!

In my freshman year of college, I applied with all the unbridled excitement of a little girl graced with the presence of a beautiful new Barbie for membership in the only art organization of the time, charmingly named Mostra d'Arte (the meaning of which still eludes me until now, when the organization sadly no longer exists). Orientation was immediate and quick: under the guidance of a lanky, quirky upperclassman, I was briefed on the org's basic workings and objectives; and already an event was waiting for my involvement. (But I suppose I should admit that I never really did assist in the event, or in any of the subsequent events. Lack of time and transport hindered my participation, and it wasn't long before the organization dissipated. I'm itching to bring it back.)

Of course, before I was to actually place my hands on anything, I had to be acquainted with the org's members - founders and freshies alike. On the day that my guide introduced my timid self to a few of them, I was unnerved and amazed to find myself before a person I'd previously only known by name, a name that took a long moment to register in my ears when my guide voiced it in the direction of a pretty, long-haired girl.

I'd seen Valerie Chua's name embellish the electronic walls of DeviantArt, a site I'd joined only months before entering college. On the site, however, her real name was secondary to her username 'green-tea', which I came to associate with her lovely paintings, and which all flashed before me as I gaped at her in person.

Song of a Bird [which became a 'Daily Deviation']

I believe that meeting was the only time I ever spoke to her - until, that is, a year or so later, when I happened to discover that she and my boyfriend were relatively in the same circle of friends. It was then that I had the pleasure of viewing her first exhibit as a member of The Ambassadors of the Philippine Brand, for which she'd painted colorful portraits of Lea Salonga and Tony Meloto, the founder of Gawad Kalinga ('to give care').

But it was only very recently we engaged in actual conversation; and although I admit I still don't know her that well (other than that we share a similar fondness for girly things), I must say she's such an interesting person: quiet, as her blog title suggests, but absolutely amiable. Not to mention, her works, her watercolor illustrations in particular, have evolved magnificently over the years, elevating her to heights that I can only hope some day to reach. Now she's a freelance illustrator feverishly sought after by several local agencies, and has been featured on an international basis. These are some of my favorite artworks of hers, taken from her Facebook page:

On November 23, 2011, she is to host her first solo exhibit - so exciting! Details can be found on the promotional poster above (just click to enlarge); do take the time to drop by her wonderful backyard of art.

P.S. Val, thanks for letting me blog about you, it's such a pleasure knowing you. :)

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